The iPhone 4.0 leaks have been splashed all over the web, but so far the majority of gadget fans’ speculation, scrutiny and inspection of the device has been on its specs. Sure there are some new goodies in there, but more interesting is how Apple could use its new toy to reshape mobile all over again.
1. Put the video back in video games
Sure, Apple will show off that front-facing camera on the iPhone 4.0 with iChat and video calls, but we don’t reckon that’s what it’s really for.
To date, tons of phones have offered front-facing cameras, but they’re always been smudgy, and video chat on the move is a pain. Once developers get their hands on it however, that front-facing camera will be an invaluable weapon for the iPhone.
Obviously, it has the potential to take on the Nintendo DSi, but games developers could also seize it as a chance to make augmented reality gaming a reality. Imagine playing story-based games that read your facial expressions to figure out how infuriated or amused you are by the plot-line. Or which quietly monitor your attention span, pausing the game when you’re distracted, or need to hop off the bus.
2. Unparalleled screen quality
The first hands-on reports with the iPhone 4.0 suggested that its resolution has been hugely increased. Gizmodo reported it was difficult to discern individual pixels, while Daring Fireball’s John Gruber explains the ramifications of a huge resolution increase on the iPhone 4.0.
In short, Apple’s mobile will finally have a screen quality to rival high quality magazines. According to Gruber, a doubling of its resolution to 960?×?640 would create unprecedented quality for a mobile phone, and mean the iPhone 4.0 display was “indistinguishable, or nearly so, from high-quality print.”
Consider Apple has already announced it’ll bring iBooks to the iPhone with iPhone OS 4.0, and the implications are clear: Apple is out to make the new iPhone a fantastic device for reading, and will pack in enough pixels to display close-to-HD video, even considering its small screen.
3. Next-gen miniaturisation
Gizmodo, acting as temporary custodians of the leaked iPhone 4.0 prototype, didn’t just photograph the outside of the device, they ripped it apart. In doing so, they revealed the logic board, or brains of the new iPhone, have shrunk dramatically.
The iPhone 4.0 has a processor and associated circuitry around a third the size of its predecessor, the iPhone 3GS. The extra space allows for a battery that’s bigger, taking up roughly half of the phone’s inside and 19% bigger than the iPhone 3GS.
Until Apple releases the new iPhone 4.0, there’s no way to know what that increased battery, and shrunken circuitry mean, but if we had to bet, we’d say Apple’s about to blow all our expectations of battery life out of the water.
4. Wireless one-upmanship
The iPad debuted with Wi-Fi, but look closely at its specs and you’ll see it’s N-standard Wi-Fi, offering greater speed and improved range. It’s impossible to tell from the evidence to date, but in the past Apple has used identikit components across the iPod and iPhone range, so it’s natural to assume the same can be expected of the iPad.
If we’re right, then the iPhone 4.0, and by association the next iPod touch, will also come with super-fast Wi-Fi. The implications are huge.
The iPhone will obviously surf at greater speeds, when connected through Wi-Fi to a beefy broadband connection, but it’s the local use of wireless we’re really excited about. Multi-player games with nearby friends will see a speed increase, iPhone owners will enjoy better performance at greater distances, and there’s the possiblity of new uses: such as wireless syncing with iTunes.
The latter could make the iPhone 4.0 more efficient and enjoyable all round. Imagine an iPhone that automatically syncs new songs, podcasts and videos as soon as you walk within range of your home network. The Apple TV has synced with iTunes wirelessly since its introduction in March 2007, and packs N-standard Wi-Fi for this very reason.
And then there’s the speculation around Apple and NFC technology. Like that used in London’s Oyster cards, and company ID cards all over the world, Apple has applied for patents to use NFC in iPhones and iPods, as well as Macs. Its latest scheme would see owners use the iPhone as a ticket to events, letting you swipe in or out using its NFC technology.
We already know the iPhone 4.0 has a special glass back to allow better wireless reception. Maybe these two wireless technologies are the reason why.
5. Apple’s secret weapon
It’s no secret that the iPhone has put Apple head to head with network operators. Since its launch in June 2007 there have been rows over data usage and video streaming, tariffs and visual voicemail, unlocking and exclusivity, but now Apple is nearing the position where, at least in Europe, its handset is available on almost all major networks.
It’s a powerful position for Apple to be in: no single network has control over its device, and if any restrictions, such as on data usage, are applied there are rivals ready to offer an alternative to disgruntled customers.
Pretty soon, Apple will be able to play the operators’ demands off against each other, rather than itself. Perhaps iPhone 4.0 will finally see Apple leverage its position, and usher in a new layer of control over the iPhone: how calls themselves are made.
How could it happen? Maybe it already has. Last December rumours were rife, although never confirmed, that Apple had purchased VoIP firm iCall. The benefits to Apple were obvious. For a start, the company owns the iCall trademark, and it also has unique technology: allowing voice calls from the mobile network to be passed almost seamlessly to its VoIP app.
Reports circulated that Apple had splashed up to $60 million on acquiring iCall. However, it continues to operate within its own right, and Apple’s involvement has never been clear.
Imagine for a minute however, how iCall could fit inside the iPhone ecosystem. iPhones could become equipped to place calls to each other straight out of the box, circumnavigating network operator’s charges completely and using those handy unlimited data tariffs, negotiated by Apple from the day the iPhone was born.
Drop out of a data network, and your iCall would become a normal call. Fuss-free and fool-proof, just the way Apple likes it.
Of course, it’s all conjecture. But it is interesting to note that iCall has made no public announcements since February, despite Apple showcasing iPhone OS 4.0 last month, complete with multitasking and VoIP abilities built in. Now, you’d think iCall would have something to say about that, wouldn’t you?
